1st KOSB WAR DIARIES

1st KOSB WAR DIARIES - NORMANDY

Monday, 11 September 1944

D +

NORMANDY

WD CHECKED ✓

START LOCATION

ETREPAGNY

FINISH LOCATION

ETREPAGNY

WAR DIARY

SUMMARY OF EVENTS AND INFORMATION

Counter Mortar Course continues at Bde HQ.

General training throughout the Bn.

ALTERNATIVE SOURCES

Personal accounts, other War Diaries and excerpts from books

From 9th Infantry Brigade War Diary for 11th September:

Exercise “Ethelred” - 9 Brit Inf Gp for exercise incl.: Bde A/CMO, Staff, skeleton HQ. 2 Lincolns Bn IO OP and skeleton HQ. 1 KOSB Bn IO OP and skeleton HQ. 2 RUR Bn IO OP and skeleton HQ. A Coy 2 Mx - OC, OP, and HQ. 33 Fd Regt – OC and rep. OP and HQ. 45 A tk Bty - OC and rep, OP and HQ.

The exercise was designed for the speeding up of counter-mortar comns and subsequent engagement of enemy mortars. Enemy were represented by 4 x 3in Mortar and 6 x 4.2 Mortars. All comns were tested out and units actually had battle OPs on the ground throughout the exercise. In all, 25 targets were engaged (theoretically!) as a result of 3 hrs mortar spotting. The exercise was indeed successful inasmuch testing out Bde counter-mortar org and several lessons were learned.

Considerable duplication of work was experienced at the start of the exercise, Bde A/CMO maintained a mortar plotting board in addition to that normally kept by RA rep.

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